New traffic plan to be tested on Belfast’s Lisburn Road

A new traffic flow plan is to be tried on an arterial Belfast route popular with shoppers.

Businesses on the Lisburn Road claim that traffic restrictions have affected commerce on the street, which has numerous stores, food outlets and independent retailers.

Stormont’s transport minister Danny Kennedy is relaxing so-called Urban Clearway restrictions to apply only in one direction at peak times.

The rules currently prevent parking on either side of certain routes from 8am to 9.30am and 4.30pm to 6pm, to coincide with the morning and evening rush hours.

Under the new plans, the restrictions will only apply city-bound in the morning and country-bound in the evening.

The scheme will also be trialled on parts of the Malone Road and Stranmillis Road in south Belfast.

Mr Kennedy said: “The proposed change will affect the traffic lanes in the opposite direction at the respective times with the trial seeing the current clearway restriction relaxed.”

The minister stressed that this was a temporary measure and that the final decision will be based on the trial results.

The scheme will operate on the Upper Lisburn Road/Lisburn Road, from Black’s Road to Malone Avenue; Malone Road, from Upper Malone Road to University Road; and Stranmillis Road, from Embankment to University Road. Due to congestion around Tate’s Avenue, the Lisburn Road from Malone Avenue to Bradbury Place will keep current restrictions.